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Thar she Blows!
Words can't describe it...Today was probably the highlight of Tibet, and certainly one of the trip so far. Setting off from the dustbowl that was Shegar, we drove up and over the hills to the town of Basum where we caught an environmentally friendly (yeah right) bus to Ronphu Monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas.
At first view Everest (or Qomolongma) was mindblowing. We were lucky to arrive around midday as the clouds parted and the sun shone on the Northern Face - just amazing.
After lunch we set off, walking the 8km to base camp in just over 90minutes. Pretty good going considering the headwind that battered us and the altitude, with EBC being at 5200m above sea level. Base Camp was a cluster of tent hotels, with the real climbers hanging out just round a small bend in the shadow of the mountain. After clambering round taking photos and talking to yaks we huddled in the warmth of the tent, chowing down on yak meat and sweet jasmine tea to warm us.
The sleep in the tent was the coldest so far - all clothes, thermals, socks, fleece and beanie and I was still cold beneath the blankets.
Nevertheless, despite the grotty condition of the bathrooms and the icy wind, setting out in the evening was just magical. The whole tent village was peaceful with the sound of locals singing and chattering in the background along with the bells of the yaks as they wandered the camp. In the sky the moon shone strong and bright, illuminating Everest in all its glory as the starts glittered around it. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.
In the morning, after an average sleep, we set off down the mountain in the sunshine, leaving John to begin his four day trek through the wilderness.
That afternoon we drove to Tingri, the dustiest town so far, where after a meal of yak and Lhasa beer to end the trip, we played cards by candlelight with Andy & Oliver and then tucked up for our last night in Tibet.
It was an awesome few days, made better by the constant joking and singing that turned it into a real road trip. It's kinda funny, but despite how much we are looking forward to Nepal, we're gonna miss the guys and our adventures in Tibet (awwww).
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